Contract Type: Fixed Term - Full Time (37 hours)

Contract Length: 2 years

Stratford on Avon District Council are delighted to be appointing a Trainee Solicitor for its large and experienced in-house Legal Team shared with Warwick District Council. The Team covers several areas of legal practice including commercial contracts and procurement, commercial property, governance and information law, planning, licensing, regulatory, housing, and general criminal and civil litigation. The legal team supports the two local authorities in a range of exciting projects. The lawyers you will work with are friendly and supportive, with a strong team ethic.

As a trainee solicitor, you will be directly involved in high-quality legal work and make a positive difference to our communities. Our two year training contract will be divided into four seats of six months duration to ensure you obtain a broad range of experience in local government legal practice. Our lawyers and teams are well-integrated so you will have regular exposure to the full range of legal work we carry out. You will have a dedicated mentor and supervisor for the duration of your training contract.

During your training contract you are likely to gain experience in legal research, drafting legal documents and statutory notices, advising internal client officers and elected councillors, attending on counsel and at Court, and attending council meetings and committees. You will gain an understanding of the political dimension central to local authority legal practice and a solid grounding in public law.

The successful candidate will have a positive, ‘can do’ attitude seeking to find workable outcomes for our clients and communities and will be able to demonstrate high standards of verbal and written communication and attention to detail. 

We will support you to qualify via either the LPC route (if you meet the SRA's criteria under the transitional arrangements) or the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) route.  

You will have minimum 2(1) degree in law or other degree. To qualify under the LPC route, you will have successfully completed the Graduate Diploma in Law (if relevant) and the Legal Practice Course ahead of commencing the training contract. To qualify under the SQE route, you will have passed SQE 1 ahead of commencing the training contract and be suitable and willing to complete SQE 2 within the first year. The training contract provides Qualifying Work Experience for those wishing to qualify via the SQE.

For an informal chat about the role please contact Ross Chambers, Legal Services Manager, on 01789 260471 or ross.chambers@stratford-dc.gov.uk

This post is subject to a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service Check

The Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment, and positively encourages applications from people with disabilities.